How to win with a queen against a pawn on the 7th rank
Learn to beat a pawn one step from queening with your queen: check until the king blocks its own pawn, step your king closer, repeat. And the exception: the bishop's and rook's pawn.
Check until the king blocks its pawn
Black's pawn is one step from queening, and your king is far away. Every quiet move lets the pawn queen, and it is a draw. Only checks win.
Play Qe4+: check, and the queen comes closer to the pawn. Qe4+ Kc1
1… Kc1 Kc1 is Black's toughest answer: the king stays next to the queening square b1.
Play Qc4+: another check, closer still. Qc4+ Kd2
2… Kd2 Kd2: the king steps away from the pawn to escape the checks.
Play Qb3: now the queen attacks the pawn itself. No check is needed: the pawn has to be defended. Qb3 Kc1
3… Kc1 Kc1 defends the pawn. Anything else, and the queen takes the pawn or the new queen.
Play Qc3+: the check forces the king onto b1, in front of its own pawn. Qc3+ Kb1
4… Kb1 Kb1. Kd1 would leave the pawn to Qxb2.
The black king stands on b1, in front of its own pawn, so the pawn can't move. That gives you a free move for your king.
The free move: your king steps closer
The black king blocks its own pawn. Use the free move: bring your king one step closer.
Play Ka7: your king steps towards the pawn. Ka7 Ka2
1… Ka2 Ka2: the king steps aside, so the pawn is free to queen again.
Play Qc2: the queen attacks the pawn and the queening square b1. Qc2 Ka1
2… Ka1 Ka1 defends the pawn.
Play Qa4+: the check drives the king back onto b1. Qa4+ Kb1
3… Kb1 Kb1 is the only move.
The king is back on b1 and the pawn is stuck again: another free move for your king. Each round of checks brings your king one step closer.
And again
The same again: one more step with the king, then checks until the black king is back on b1.
Play Ka6: the free move again, your king one step closer. Ka6 Kc1
1… Kc1 Kc1 is the only move: the king steps out on the other side.
Play Qc4+: the same checks as before. Qc4+ Kd2
2… Kd2 Kd2.
Play Qb3: attack the pawn. Qb3 Kc1
3… Kc1 Kc1 defends it.
Play Qc3+: the king has to go back to b1. Qc3+ Kb1
4… Kb1 Kb1: in front of the pawn once more.
Every round costs Black a few moves and brings your king one step closer. Now your king is near enough to finish.
The finish
Your king is close now. One more round, and the pawn falls.
Play Ka5: the free move, one step closer. Ka5 Ka1
1… Ka1 Ka1: the king defends the pawn from the corner. But the queen on c3 pins the pawn: it can't move.
The pawn is pinned, so you have another free move: play Ka4. Ka4 Ka2
2… Ka2 Ka2: the king steps out of the pin, and the pawn is free to move again.
Play Qa3+: one more check, and the king has to go back to b1, in front of its pawn. Qa3+ Kb1
3… Kb1 Kb1 is the only move.
The king blocks its pawn again, so the free move is yours: play Kb3. Now the black king has a single move left. Kb3 Kc1
4… Kc1 Kc1, the only move.
Play Qxb2+: your king guards the queen, so the pawn is won. The rest is the queen checkmate you already know. Qxb2+
That is the whole method: checks until the king blocks its own pawn, a free step for your king, and again, until your king is close enough to win the pawn.
The bishop's pawn: king close
With a bishop's pawn Black has a way out: instead of blocking the pawn, the king goes into the corner, and taking the pawn there is stalemate. With your king on a8 this position would be a draw. On d5 it is close enough to win.
Play Qg2+: the checks start as before. Qg2+ Kc3
1… Kc3 Kc3: the king keeps close to its pawn.
Play Qg7+: the only move that keeps the win. Qg7+ Kd2
2… Kd2 Kd2.
Play Qd4+: closer with check. Qd4+ Ke2
3… Ke2 Ke2: the king steps away from the pawn.
Play Qc3: attack the pawn. Qc3 Kd1
4… Kd1 Kd1 defends it. c1=Q would lose the new queen to Qxc1.
Play Qd3+: the king has to go in front of its pawn. Qd3+ Kc1
5… Kc1 Kc1. Ke1 would leave the pawn to Qxc2.
Play Kc4: the free move. Your king was close, so this one step decides. Kc4 Kb2
6… Kb2 Kb2: now the king heads for the corner.
Play Qc3+: drive the king to the edge. Qc3+ Kb1
7… Kb1 Kb1.
Play Kb3: your king joins in. The black king has one move left, Kc1, and it runs into Qe1#. Kb3 c1=Q
8… c1=Q c1=Q: Black's toughest try. The pawn has queened, but too late.
Play Qd3+: the only move that keeps the win. Qd3+ Ka1
9… Ka1 Ka1. Blocking with Qc2+ would lose the queen to Qxc2+.
Play Qa6+: check along the a-file. Qa6+ Kb1
10… Kb1 Kb1. Qa3+ would block, but Qxa3+ wins the queen.
Play Qa2#: checkmate. Your king guards the queen. Qa2#
With a bishop's pawn the method works only when your king is close. From far away the king escapes into the corner and taking the pawn is stalemate: a draw. The same goes for a rook's pawn.
Key ideas
- Without a check, the pawn queens. Start with checks, and bring the queen closer with each one.
- Check, or attack the pawn, until the king has to stand in front of it on the queening square. Then the pawn can't move.
- That is your free move: step your king one square closer.
- Repeat until your king is close enough to win the pawn or give mate.
- A bishop's or rook's pawn is the exception: the king hides in the corner, and taking the pawn is stalemate. You win only if your king is already close.
Common mistakes
- A quiet move at the start: the pawn queens, and it is a draw.
- Taking the pawn while the black king guards it: the queen is lost.
- Checking without a plan: the checks have to bring the queen closer and end with the king in front of its pawn.
- Playing for a win against a bishop's or rook's pawn with your king far away: it is a draw.